Automatic door opening and closing mechanism



L- T; DOUVIER.

Mar. 6, 1923.

AUTOMATIC 000B OPENING AND CLOSlNG MECHANISM.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

"LED HA8. 9, 192!- Mar. 6, 1923. 1,447,411.

L. T. nouvnan.

AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM.

fILED mm. 9. 192:. a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

My i snow-=1 Mar. 6, 1923. 1,447,411.

L. T. DOUVIER.

AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM.

FILED MAR 9| [921- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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E A a F "'T\'J "T W N N 8 l 1 R N ummw a Q amnion [.[DOUV/Ff,

m -M I direction on Patented n... s, 1923.

Application fil ed March 9,: 1881, lcrial Ho. 460,882

ToalZwhomitmq concem:

Be it known that I, Lawnrmoa T. DoUvma, a citizen of the United states, residing at Amboy, in the count of Lee and State of Illinois, have invents certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Door 0 nin and Closing Mechanisms, of

which t e f0 lowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying; drawings.

his invention relates to door operating mechanisms and has for an object to pro vide a mechanism especially ada ted for the operation of garage doors, alt ough it is to be understood that it is not in any way limited to'such type of buildin and is fully as operative in buildings of at er types.

A further object of the invention is to rovide in conjunction with a building havmg vertically hinged doors opening in one y of a run-way or approaching such bui ding and within the uilding, and improved means disposed in said runway to be engaged b a passing vehicle to actuate the doors boti-opening and closing in proper relation to the movement of the vehlcle. r.

A further object of the invention is to rovide in combination with a building liaving verticall hinged doors swinging in one direction on y of obstructions so laced in the path of movement of the vehic e that the doors will automatically open and close as the vehicle is housed and removed from the housing, responding at all times to the movement of the vehicle to condition the doors for the passing of the vehicle in either direction to close promptly after the vehicle is ast.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel. units, parts, elements, combinations, mechanical movements and functions, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building with the invention connected therewith, with a vehicle located in the doorway;

Fi re 2 is a sectional detail view of the position of the doors and actuating mechanism when a vehicle is to pass, having first actuated doors Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view showm the doors closed and the actuating mechanism to be engaged for opening;

Figure 4 'is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior of the building and doors with the actuating mechanism connected therewith; Figure 5 is a top plan view of a drive-way with the invention applied thereto, showing the doors in open position for the passage of a vehicle into the building;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a run-wa shown the doors in closed osition wit the mechanism $0.1; p n g the v A p the vehicle entirely within the uilding, hav 7 mg actuated the mechanisms for closing the doors;

Figure 7 is a perspective fragmentary view of one of the obstructions;

Figure 8 is a plan view of one of the yielding joints, and

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the yieldin 'joints;

Like characters 0 reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the housin of vehicles, especially mo tor vehicles, it is found of very great convenience to provide means for automatically opening and closing the doors of the house as the vehicle moves either into or out of said house. The present invention embodies structure which is adapted to operate in conjunction with a house 10, indicated as a conventional garage havin vertically hinged swinging doors 11. e buildin 10 and the approach thereto may be paved in any usual and ordinary manner and showing here parallel drive-ways, or run-ways,

structions may be sunk into depressions formed in the plane of the paving. The obstrnefions 13, 14, 15 and 16 are respectively transversely of the path of movement of the vehicle, from 13 at the outer end to 16 at the inner end of the house.

These obstructions are preferably hmged as indicated at 17 so that they may lie flush, or substantially flush, with the track 111(11- cated by the run-ways 12, or may stand at les thereto, the ormer being indicated at re 2, the latter at Figure 3. When the iiniructions lie flush with the surrounding pavement, it is obvious that the vehicle passing thereover will have no efl'ect thereon, but that when they stand at an angle thereto, as indicated at Figure 3, a vehicle passing thereover will depres the particular obstruction engaged and set in motion the actuating mechanism.

The obstructions 13 and 14 are connected by a link 18, of such length that only one of said obstructions may lie in a horizontal and flush with the track at the same time. The obstructions 15 and 16 are likewise connected b a link 19 which also is of such length t t both of said obstructionsma not occupy a horizontal plane simu taneously.

Within the building a walking beam 20 1s fulcrumed at 21 in the floor structure or other convenient abutment adapted to swing in a horizontal plane. This walking beam 20 i connected at one end by the link 22 with the obstruction 14 and at its opposite end by a link 23 with the obstruction 15. By connecting the obstructions 14; and 15 through the walking beam 20, it is obvious that both will move 'to horizontal position or tilted ition simultaneously, the connection being for such purpose. It will thus be seen that all of the several obstructions are inter-connected so that all will operate simultaneously. In other words, the extremes 13 and 16 will be depressed to horizontal simultaneously with the moving of the intermediates 14 and 15 to inclined position, the reverse being true that the depression of the intermediates 14 and 15 to horizontal position will raise the extremes to inclined position.

The obstruction 15 is connected with yield ing links 21 to levels 25, pivoted at 26 to the floor, or the like, and having links 27 connected with the doors 11. The yielding links 24 are connected with the edges of the obstructions 15, which are the top edges when the obstruction 15 is in an inclined position, a shown at Figure 3, and so arran that when the obstruction 15 is in suc inclined position, the doors 11 are closed, and when depressed to horizontal position at Figure 2, the doors are open.

The yielding linlns 24 may be of any usual and ordinary construction, but preferably tal.

are composed of the sliding members 28 and 29 having a spring 30 resisting extemlon of the members. An auxiliary spring 31,

as shown at Figure 9, may also be employed,

having its ends seated in ferrules 32, which are engaged respectively by the bends of the members 28 and 29.

In operation it is assumed that a. vehicle is to be housed, the doors being closed. The vehicle approaches the house in the direction indicated by the arrow at Figure 5, first having passed over the obstruction 13 which is flush with the pavement. The wheels then engage the obstruction 14 which up to that time is raised to inclined position. The depressing of the obstruction 14, connected through the walking beam 20, depresses also the obstruction 15, which depression forces the doors 11 open on their hinges. The depressing of the obstruction 14, and therewith the obstruction 15, raises the obstructions 13 and 16 to inclined position, they having before that time been horizon- The vehicle may now enter through the open doors. passing over the obstruction 15 which is flush with the surrounding pavement until it engages the obstruction 16 which is depressed, as indicated at Figure 6. This depresion acting upon the obstruction 15 through the link 19 and through the yielding links 30 and levers 25, closes the door 11. It will be noted that at this point the obstruction 15 is inclined and the obstruction 16 depressed. When it is desired to remove the vehicle from the building, the movement of the vehicle in the direction indicated by the arrow at-Figure 6 will first bring the Wheels into engagement with the obstruction 15, after passing off from the obstruction 16. In the manner heretofore described, the doors 11 will be thereby opened and the obstruction 14 also depressed,'both of such obstructions remainingl in such condition until the wheels of the vehicle have engaged the obstruction 13, which has been raised to inclined position, and by such wheels depressed, closing the doors, and raising the obstructions 14 and 15, whereupon the device is ready for the performance of a, second cycle of operation.

What I claim to be new is:

1. The combination with a building embodying doors swinging upon vertical pivots in one direction only, of a plurality of ob struction within and without the buildin but ;connected to move simultaneously an in intermediate and extreme pairs, and posi' tive means connecting the obstructions with the doors whereby the depression of the intermediate pair positively opens the doors and the depresion of the extreme pair positively closes the doors.

2. The combination with a building embodymg doors hinged to swing upon vertical pivots 1n one direction only, of horizontally pivoted obstructions within and without the building arranged to move simultaneously in an extreme and an intermediate pair, positive means connecting one of the members of the intermediate pair with the swinging door such connection embodying yielding means for overcoming stresses whereby the depression of the intermediate pair positively opens the doors and positive means connecting the extreme pair for POSI- tively closing the doors.

3. The combination with. a building of a pluralit of obstructions within and without the bui ding, means connecting one of the obstructions within the building with the swinging doors, whereby the movement from an inclined to a horizontal position opens the doors, and from a horizontal to an inclined position closes the doors, means connecting the juxtaposed inner and outer obstructions to actuate in synchronism, and means connecting the remote inner and outer obstructions to act in synchronism and in opposition to the movement of the juxtaposed pair.

4. The combination with a building embodying doors hinged to swing upon vertical pivots 1n one direction only, of a plurality of horizontally pivoted obstructions, some within and some without said building, and arranged in proximate and remote pairs, means whereby the depression of either of the remote obstructions transmit a closing action to the doors, and means whereby the depression of either of the proximate obstructions transmits an opening action to the doors.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAWRENCE T. DOUVIER.

Witnesses:

J. W. KEmmN, H. P. Bum. 

